


Abeille and the Fox

by Gracedcheshirecatofgold



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Abeille - Freeform, Barely any time with Sophia, Chloé has OCD, Don't be discouraged by the OC, F/F, F/M, Gardener Lila, How can you hate Chloe, I make you feel bad for Chloe, I refuse to make my é's in Chloé correctly, Now More, Originally supposed to be five chapters, Reveal, Sorry Not Sorry, That is Chloé's superhero name, cute relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-08-09
Packaged: 2018-11-13 02:59:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11175597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gracedcheshirecatofgold/pseuds/Gracedcheshirecatofgold
Summary: Chloé Bourgeois gets a second chance. Now she has to face Volpina, an Akuma the Miraculous Team faced once before. And it's only natural for Chloé to want to check on Lila. But it's strictly professional! At least, she TRIES to tell herself. She doesn't have feelings for Lila..... No way....





	1. Feelings are Difficult

**Author's Note:**

> Be prepared. Hopefully you'll like Chloé a little more after this.... *maniacal laughter as she sits back in her swivel chair* Have fun, my darlings.... This is only the beginning.... *laughs so much she chokes*
> 
> ~Gracedcheshirecatofgold

Chloe Bourgeois was alone again. Her father had a business meeting, so she sat by herself as she ate one of the most beautiful meals in Paris. It definitely looked and tasted amazing, however, food is only as good as the company you share it with. In this case, it was no one.But it was fine. Chloe didn't mind being alone. Really. She was too used to it nowadays. The hollow emptiness, and the silence.

While that may sound like she felt pain, it was dulled. She was used to something like this. She wanted this! She was Chloe Bourgeois, the mayor of Paris's daughter! There was no possible way she could be taken down.

It was just like how her grandmother had always warned her about letting people in, and that it was deadly, like a toxic disease.

That was part of the reason she was always cold to Sabrina. She kept her closest-thing-to-a-friend at an arms length away. People shouldn't get near enough to even have the chance to hurt you. It wasn't allowed.

_"A Bourgeois never feels pain!"_

Her father's words echoed in her mind, haunting her like the ghouls of her own nightmares. He had always been repeating that statement to her, hoping she'd eventually overcome the problems left by her absent mother. Her grandmother did the same, hoping that the drinking her own daughter did wouldn't affect Chloe in the long run.

The blond girl knew of this, so she always attempted to stay tough on the outside. There was a shell around Chloe, shielding her from the pain and despair of the outside world.

But unfortunately, this shell wasn't a kind exterior. No, Chloe was a selfish, spoiled child and was never taught differently. In Chloe's mind, nothing should be close enough to hurt her, so she was fine if people hated her from outside her own bubble. Except, maybe she wasn't. Maybe she wanted someone she could actually get close to, even if it meant a little bit of pain. In truth, she was scared. She didn't know what would happen when people met the REAL Chloe Bourgeois. Below the surface she laid in waiting, hoping for a day she could see the surface again.

And it had been so long. What was she like again?

All Chloe remembered was that she was different.

She wasn't the Chloe people thought of when they heard her name. People didn't cower at the sound of it, or scoff, or give her the death glare.

She had no idea if Adrien remembered how she was. It was probably the only reason he still talked to her, still acknowledged her after all the wrong she did. And there was so much of it.

Chloe Bourgeois had a snooty attitude, and used a mixture of lies and deception to her advantage. She was a terrible force to reckon with, making her the main source of negative emotions for Hawkmoth's plans. She was like a battery: giving power to make a person an easy target of becoming a villain.

Chloe barely held back a sob on the way to her room.

She was horrible.

There was nothing she could think of to help herself out of it. Or the people she hurt. There wasn't just a switch she could press to undo everything: all the pain, all the damage. She wasn't Ladybug, she just had to smile and offer up an apology. Because everyone loved Ladybug (Chloe included) and believed that underneath everything, she was a genuinely good person. Not Chloe. I mean, who had faith in Chloe, the spoiled, selfish daughter of the mayor of Paris?

She laughed without humor before opening the beautifully carved ivory handle to her windowed-door.

And immediately knew something was off.

Call her an OCD freak, but Chloe had a perfect order to her room. Every piece of furniture matched, posters on the wall perfectly symmetrical, and her clothing placed in a specific order by color, and then even more categorized onwards.

And there, on her dresser, was something out of place. It was a black box with a gorgeous antique design engraved atop it, and no less, tilted at an angle, like it was sloppily set down, which Chloe never tended to do with her own things. Others, maybe, but certainly not hers.

She'd never even seen it before, so where had it come from? And it was a box, so there was most likely something inside.

Her curiosity got the best of her, and she ended up opening it. A yellow flash of light blinded Chloe temporarily, and she nearly dropped the box in an effort to shield her eyes.

Out popped a strange looking bumble bee doll that was quickly critiqued by the mayor of Paris's daughter. And its evaluation did not turn out to be a good one.

What? The thing was weird.

And then the toy did something even more unexpected: (Just behind fitting into that box at the size it was. The thing could cut back on the carbs) It talked.

It was some meaningless mumble, but that was not the type of thing she usually experienced on on a Thursday night.

Stunned, Chloe stumbled backwards blindly, her eyes never veering away from the small, floating creature in front of her.

"W-what are you?" Asked the blond girl asked with a noticeable tremble.

The toy smiled. "Your chance at redemption."

And that was how she met her Kwami, Pollen.

And the bee miraculous was also true to her word. After transforming for the first time, Chloe saw the world in a completely different light. Not everything was as dark as she tended to consider it: Paris was beautiful, even with the flaws it held. There might have been a lot, but the city had so much to love. And it wasn't just any city: it was her city. And now Chloe had the honor of protecting it as the bee miraculous holder Abeille.

She may seem more noble now, but there were many times her past attempted to suck her back into the misery Chloe previously held. And those were the times when Chloe would have to correct her past mistakes, no matter how daunting the task seemed. And now she could accomplish anything, so long as she had her new friends by her side.

It was risky to have people nearer to her, but she wasn't as scared anymore. Feelings may be difficult to sift through, but they can have the most amazing payoffs.

 


	2. A Battle of Tricksters and Wits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fight, huh? That was the easy part. But what was all the other weird stuff Chloe was feeling? And could Ladynoir just hurry up and become cannon? Honestly.

Chloe was in her Miraculously enhanced form with her team who consisted of the original heroes of Paris Ladybug and Chat Noir, and the newer member Renard Rouge, the fox miraculous holder who had surfaced around the same time as Chloe's Super-Bee. (A nickname Chat had given to her upon arrival.)

But Abeille was quite confused. Her memory had been fading in and out on this cool, summer day. Just what was she doing here again?

"Give up your Miraculouses!!!! All of you!!!" Screamed their adversary.

Ah. Right. Volpina had appeared for the second time.

Granted, Abeille hadn't been there for the first encounter from Volpina. But she had heard enough rumors, Ladyblog videos, and embarrassed glances from Ladybug to get the general idea. Attention, low self-esteem, lies, and being caught. Pretty much the makings of Camp Rock. All that was really left was a musical number and Lila getting her one true love to fall for her, then Disney Channel would have their newest smash hit. 

Unfortunately (not actually that unfortunate), that was impossible, seeing Adrien only had eyes for Ladybug. And possibly Marinette. But only them!

Lila had no chance with the person she fell for, and that might've given the new, reformed Chloe a touch of sympathy for the brunette fox. If it wasn't for the pesky details of Volpina appearing because of Lila's negative emotions and serving Hawkmoth. Right now, she was evil. And that matter had to be resolved by the band of heroes around Abeille at that very moment. 

"It's show time!" Smiled Renard, her voice making her sound like a sports announcer. She did this EVERY TIME they battled a minion of Hawkmoth, which caused Abeille to roll her eyes.

Lila also seemed to get annoyed at Renard's statement. (Maybe when all this was over, she and Chloe could become friends.)

Before anyone on either side of the battle made any effort to attack, the purple butterfly surrounded Volpina's face like a thin string that Hawkmoth used to control his puppets. 

The orange-wearing villain gave a terrifying grin followed by the words, "Yes Hawkmoth."

That was never a good sign.

Chat Noir and Renard were the more offensive players who loved to get the first hit in. They almost always had a competition to see who would come out on top.

Renard would have been deemed the winner, if not for the fact that as she kicked at Volpina, she disappeared in a small puff of smoke. That version of their rival was simply an illusion.

The true Volpina was behind Ladybug, striking the spotted heroine with her flute.

Ladybug stumbled, causing Renard, Abeille and especially Chat to go into panic mode. He sprinted to her side on all fours, ignoring all obstacles between him and the person he loved most in this world. The girl of red spots tried to assure him that she was fine and he didn't have anything to worry about. He knew better.

Hawkmoth had given Volpina an upgrade. In addition to the dark orange jacket that, despite the color difference, looked shockingly similar to the designer jacket Chloe was famously known for wearing, (What? It got cold in Paris. _Snow_ , people!) Volpina’s flute had changed as well. Instead of having a few varying hues, it was a see-through staff that reminded Chloe of a fire opal.

The fox villain had boasted about how it was near indestructible, and that it was not something to be trifled with: one of the only honest things she had said on sunny, beautiful day. Why must super villains ruin that type of day? It was the perfect time to get a tan, not be forced to fight evil. Treachery should be fought on a dark, stormy day where there wasn't really all that much to do.

If only Hawkmoth shared that view point.

As Chat picked up Ladybug bridal-style, Chloe noticed Lila was nowhere in sight now. How do you loose sight of the person you're supposed to be fighting? Ugh, rookie mistake!

Renard was the one who rediscovered her counterpart. Both of the foxes stared at each other in warning, watching the other with full attention being put forward. If one even had a slight move, the other would be ready to lunge.

The tension between the two was more obvious to Chloe than the “no plaid with stripes” rule she learned from her parents as a toddler.

“Hey!! Aren't you forgetting about _moi_?” Chloe asked with flare, throwing her spinning top at Lila. This got Volpina to spin around to avoid the bee’s weapon, but left her open to a strike from Renard.

It was genius, if Abeille did think so herself.

Renard managed to grasp Lila’s fake miraculous necklace, yanking it off of the brunette’s neck with both ease and a hint of annoyance. The real fox heroine tossed it onto the ground with a smack, then proceeded to step on it with a black boot.

“Ladybug! We kinda need your purifying powers!!” Renard called out, her voice projection like that of a microphone’s. The dark purple butterfly already beginning to flitter away to create duplicates of itself.

“Chat, put me down,” squirmed Ladybug, still trapped in her leather-clad partner’s embrace.

“No way. You shouldn't be walking around,” the cat chided.

“But—“

“No buts.”

“CHAT THE AKUMA!!” Ladybug yelled, her face a red almost identical to that of her suit, causing both Renard and Abeille to stifle their laughs.

That, plus the adorable kitten face Chat Noir continued to make as he nestled his face into the spotted heroine’s blue hair was enough to give anyone a feeling of happiness. Even Lila was trying to suppress a smile.

Seriously? Why couldn't Ladynoir just become cannon already? So much waiting, and Chloe was impatient!

Sadly, all moments must come to pass, as this one did. Ladybug was let free (she used a spotted feather Lucky Charm in order to do so), and Lila’s face became guarded once again. At the brunette faking her own emotions, Chloe felt her heart cry out. For a reason she couldn't explain, Abeille hated seeing Lila like that. She wanted to do anything and everything in her power to make her smile again, and never have to see her displeased, or scared. Chloe wished that she has the ability to take all of Lila’s pain and problems away, and instead give the burden to Abielle.

It was an odd feeling.

She only escaped her wild thoughts when she heard Ladybug shout her catch-phrase, “Miraculous Ladybug!!”

Soon, a vibrant red, firework-like display exploded onto the scene, the sky lit up in ecstasy as it enjoyed the magic being offered to it. No matter how many times Chloe witnessed it, she was always in awe of its glory. As it slowly, but surely began to fade away, all heads turned back to Lila Rossi, the girl sitting upon the concrete pavement.

She glanced up with a face of— embarrassment? — before she spotted Abeille. The brunette froze, everything about her seeming like a deer in headlights fearing for its life.  Then her cheeks turned scarlet.

Abeille was pretty confused. She had no idea what that really meant, as Lila's expression had switched so many times in less than a full minute.

"Um, is there a problem?" The blonde asked with more sincerity than she had expected.

Lila looked around nervously, seemingly attempting to utter a sound, but nothing happened at first. It was after another processing through her mind that she blurted, "I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"

She blushed like a madwoman before beginning to sprint down the sidewalk, the opposite direction of Chloe, and all of the other Miraculous Wielders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Seems you've made it this far, so thank you! The Ladynoir moment was not originally planned, but my brain screamed at me to include it. I hope you liked that! I'm trying to make this five chapters, but let's see how that turns out. XD
> 
> Also, please follow my Instagram account. I just posted the reason it would be awesome to become an Akuma. I'll have some more stuff on there soon! Love you!! ^.^ ~Gracedcheshirecatofgold
> 
> (Also, the Instagram Account Name to look up is @gracedcheshirecatofgold  
> Look for the Shiny Zorua!!)


	3. The Truth is There, Nestled Between Lies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes we regret the things we say. Sometimes it's because they're too brutally honest, and sometimes it's because we tell a very stupid lie. For Lila, it's the second option.
> 
> The first (and only) chapter in this story where Lila narrates! (In third person anyway.)

Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid!

It was the only think racing through Lila's head like an Olympic Athlete, spinning around a track of embarrassment, terror, and a few other emotions Lila didn't want to place at that time.

_"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"_

Really, why would she say something like that!? How stupid could she be!? Spitting lies here and there as many times as there were raindrops on a stormy day seemed to be Lila's specialty.

Lila plopped onto her orange, Italian leather couch with a sigh.

She hadn't even meant to say that. Lila had racked her entire brain to conjure the ideal sentence to ensure the most suitable conversation piece. Unfortunately, a lie seemed to be her best defense mechanism.

Lila Rossi was supposed to be calm, cool and collected. She was always needed to say the absolute perfect thing. Her parents expected such from her, she knew. But they never explained what that truly meant. They hardly talked to their only daughter, and Lila barely knew what the "caretakers" in her life's voices sounded like. Anything her parents said was relayed to Lila via the butler of her household, which did nothing to make Lila feel comfortable in her own life.

Then there's the normal argument point: Did her parents have more money than one person could possibly spend in a lifetime?

Yes.

But did that do anything to make Lila happy?

No, not really.

Lila was insecure. She wasn't confident as herself, so the brunette decided a few years ago to redefine who she was. By lying.

It started off simple, but soon everything changed. She could no longer tell the truth, the thing she now wanted to spill out more than anything. But she couldn't. Her real voice was buried inside, and it couldn't escape the prison she had brought upon herself.

And then SHE was there. When Lila had glanced up and seen Abeille, it clicked. Every cell in her body was on alert, as Lila saw the person under the mask.

The truth had stared her straight in the face with the most gorgeous blue eyes on the planet; Chloe Bourgeois.

It wasn't a question anymore. Lila could easily spot the connections, and the aura that both of them radiated. How come no one else had figured out the identities of the Parisian heroes?

The answer hadn't mattered to Lila in that moment. All that did was the girl she was staring at.

It took a lot of might for Lila to not just scream at the top of her lungs about why Chloe was such an amazing, kindhearted, strong person and break out into a carefully choreographed dance number and song. That was just a tad too embarrassing, so she tried to think up something else.

And that was the reason why she had screamed out to the superheroes of Paris. (Oh who was she kidding? She screamed to Abeille/Chloe.)

_"I'LL NEVER FORGIVE YOU!"_

It was so far from the truth.

But Lila was scared of the truth.

Besides, it didn't even matter! Lila was interested in Adrien, and—

Lila let out a short growl. That was it. She was done with that kind of thing. This time, Lila wasn't going to lie— to everyone around her, and herself. She wasn't going to get in her own head, and tell herself ridiculous things just to take make herself unfocused. She could do this! She couldn't drown out all her worries in problems with more slander. She had to be honest with herself. And this was definitely the time to do so.

She took a nervous breath, and started, "I, Lila Rossi, l-lov-"

_Come on Lila! You can do this! Just say it!_

"I love Chlo-"

And was cut off when a loud sound broke the silence of her home. Lila lifted her brows in alarm. Was that shattered glass?!

She pulled herself off the couch and made a mad dash to the roof, nearly tripping on half the steps and hopping over the other half while her head flooded with possibilities.

A robber? No way. How would they be able to get on the roof? An akuma? Okay, that could be it, even though that wasn't something Lila particularly wanted to deal with. Also, Hawkmoth needed some time to rest too. Or! Or it could have just been the wind! After all, Lila's flourishing garden was up there, and the bowls that she kept her plants in were made of vibrant colored glass! That wouldn't be to bad. Oh, anything else? Oh! What about a trapeze artist? Wait, why was that even a thought she'd be having? A trapeze artist. Really? That was an option?

Through all the jumbled mess of her insides, Lila decided she'd pick the wind. That was what it probably was anyway. Her pace slowed. Since it was just the wind, there shouldn't be a need for her to sprint. But just in case, Lila would still go check. Yeah. That's all. There was no need for the brunette to freak out.

(Okay, so maybe lying to herself would stop sometime LATER.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so glad you've gotten this far! I really hope you enjoyed, and without giving anything away, the next chapter is where all the fun starts. And that's the part that has been rattling around in my brain for quite a few months now. (Like, September I believe? XD I need to write more things down and publish them earlier. Can't be helped now.)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Leave a kudos or comment and you'll make me fangirl squeal for twenty minutes a piece. ^.^ ~Gracedcheshirecatofgold


	4. A Garden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe and Lila are bumbling weirdos, and Chloe starts freaking out. Also, a plant gets a name.

Chloe Bourgeois had been pacing around her room for the past hour, pondering the full situation, attempting to find solutions. Ideas formulated and clumped together inside her head, but she had no way of fulling knowing if they were true.

One thing that was as clear as day to Chloe was the fact that Lila's second akumatization had a different aura surrounding her: she was even more furious than she had been when she had previously became evil.

Chloe had come to the conclusion that the best hypothesis was that it had something to do with Renard Rouge. She was the legitimate fox superhero after all, and Chloe had a hunch that was the case. It was possible that she was tormented for lying. Volpina could no longer consider herself the fox superhero if the real one had been brought into the picture, and would instead be engulfed in torment from harsh words. The cruel world could once again rub it in Lila's (albeit flawless in Chloe's eyes at least) face about the fake things she had allegedly poisoned it with.

To Chloe, it had already been poisoned. Lila really hadn't done anything out of the ordinary. Everyone makes up at least a few things about themselves: not even Ladybug was perfect.

But bullies were relentless, especially when they discovered the perfect opportunity to strike at you, which definitely happened at some of their victims' lowest points. And while Chloe desperately wished she didn't know that so well, or at least that she did know about it because she got bullied more often. But, for every time she was hurt by those idiots, she lashed out at four times as many people. While her demons were now locked away in her past and she hoped she'd never have to become them again, they still existed. She could clearly see through the keyhole and look back at the ghoulish nightemares there. They couldn't escape, but they did a great job of simply lurking, reminding her of all the pain she caused. And all the pain she tried desperately to make up for every day.

If she were honest, Chloe had felt a little bad that she had crushed a Lila when she was already seemed so down, but a person should never turn towards evil to get what they wanted. It was like a tunnel: choosing the path of villainy seemed like it was the only possible option, but in reality, it had the worst backlash. There was ALWAYS a better way. Chloe knew that now.

Still, those were just assumptions. They were not definite answers, but merely thoughts what Chloe knew of because she had experienced them herself. But it wasn't Lila's mind she was thinking through. Therefore, Chloe was still in the dark about Lila's problems.

It wasn't until Pollen started laughing that Chloe realized she hadn't heard a thing outside of her own dancing thoughts.

"What's so funny?" The blonde huffed, pushing a strand of her golden locks out of her face: it was something she only did when she got defensive.

Pollen was thrown into another fit of giggles, but regained her demeanor quicker than last time. "You're so caught up in what's possible, and you're worried about what you don't know. But there is something you can: GO ASK LILA."

Chloe was more shocked than she should have been. It was staring her straight in the face, yes, but she had gotten too preoccupied with stranger solutions like the kinds Ladybug had to come up with. (Lucky charms were CONFUSING. Just what was that Kwami thinking?) Chloe's temporary blindness had nothing to do with the fact that she kept picturing Lila looking at her with forest-green eyes... No! That would be ridiculous!

Chloe couldn't help but think of Marinette. They had become better friends (ish) but that hadn't stopped Chloe from teasing Marinette relentlessly about how flustered she tended to get when even the NAME Adrien was brought into the picture. She was so hopelessly obsessed with him, it would make Chloe simultaneously laugh and cringe. But that was what love did to you, didn't it? Not that she was in love of course! But, HYPOTHETICALLY, if she WERE, she could finally understand where Marinette was coming from. She got tongue-tied, and flustered, and her thoughts all jumbled, collapsing in on themselves before she could attempt to make sense of them. Because Chloe loved Li-

Chloe let out a nervous laugh. And then another. Soon, Pollen was staring at an awkward-looking Chloe, wondering whether or not she should help her Chosen seek medical assistance. The magical flying bee was already near the phone, ready to start dialing before Chloe screamed, "Yeah! Why not!? We should go see Lila, and check if she's okay! I mean, she was acting really weird, and I mean REALLY WEIRD. I'm kind of worried, but —not because I have feelings for her or anything, that would be even weirder! No! This is just to make sure Lila is doing alright, nothing more! Got it?" Chloe rambled.

"Uh......." Said Pollen. _"So she's one of THOSE Chosens who ramble all day long about their love life. Yay me! But for crying out loud, I thought those were Tikki's job."_

Pollen hadn't even realized Chloe had shouted her signature transformation words until she had been sucked into the yellow bee hair comb delicately placed in Chloe's honey-colored hair.

\----------------------------------

Abeille couldn't help it. Of course she wanted to go see Lila after that whole fiasco. But it was strictly business! There was no ulterior motive. Not in the slightest. That would be ridiculous, and unprofessional! The exact opposite of a Bourgeois, she dare say.

And Abeille really tried to convince herself that this was the case, that her logic was flawless. But it was. Because technically, right now she WASN'T a Bourgeois: she was the superhero Abeille. Plus Chloe used to resort to name-calling. Okay, maybe it wasn't the BEST argument.

At least it was an argument.

As the blonde tried to come up with some better reasonings as she landed soundlessly on the roof of Lila's luxury home.

 _"You **LIKE** her,"_ Some part of Chloe's mind told her like a darkened shadow, trying to lure her into admitting the truths lying beneath the surface. A part of her that wanted to arise.

Unfortunately, Bourgeois's were stubborn.

Blushing and stomping her foot, Chloe yelled into the beautiful night sky: a sky so full of magic and young love, "I DO NOT!!"

So caught up in the act that she missed the fact that she accidentally knocked over one of the exquisite, and most certainly glass, plant vases over. It shattered upon impact like glass so often does, spilling the contents along the roof. Abeille hardly noticed.

Yes, Chloe attempted to drown out her feelings, things she still wasn't used to having after watching what happened to her mother... No. Chloe was stronger. She would make none of the same mistakes. And that also meant no falling in love. She would leave right now, and pretend that this entire thing had never even happened. It was no big dea-

And there she was.

When Abeille whipped back around to topper through Paris, she was faced with Lila, a girl staring at her with... Admiration? Guilt?

The longer the superhero stared, the more she began to realize it was both.

Lila blushed furiously by the attention she was being given. Chloe had a feeling that not even the brunette's parents gazed at her for this long. Even with all the trouble she would purposely cause, the people she so desperately wanted to see her would not budge.

Lila managed to utter the first words, with them being, "Why are you here?"

It was straightforward enough, though it still seemed to catch Abeille off-guard. "I, uh, came to check on you?"

Wait, why did that sound more like a question!? It was the truth!

Abeille rephrased, this time, making it sound more like a statement, and slightly hitting its mark. "I mean, I wanted to check if you were okay! You didn't seem to be when you stormed off, so I got concerned.."

Lila smiled, and turned a cute shade of crimson. Her eyes darted down towards the floor in an effort to hide her emotions from the superhero, and ended up spotting the fragments of her broken plant vase. "Vanessa!" She cried out in alarm, while Abielle looked on in confusion.

"Who's Vanessa?"

"Vanessa is the plant right here!" Lila pointed to the spot directly below Abeille's black boot. Crap, she was standing on one of Lila's gorgeous yellow flowers. She sidestepped, immediately apologizing for being so careless. (Something the old Chloe wouldn't have done, too)

Then suddenly Lila went rigid. "Uh, I meant to say, that this plant is my butler's! These are all his stupid hobby. Because who would ever take up gardening? Talking to plants? Boring!" She scoffed, getting onto her knees to help salvage Vanessa. Her nimble hands worked with such ease as she picked up a second glass vase— a blue one this time (Lila had muttered in reasoning to the color choice when Abielle asked, stating, "It's like your eyes." Then she blushed all over again.)— and cradled the plant, helping it (or her?) into the new flowerpot. "Can you grab that extra bag of dirt over there?"

Abeille quickly did as she was asked, then went back to watching the brunette work. It was odd, but Lila looked at peace with herself. And that thought spurred many others, the most prominent being that Lila was lying. This was most definitely her garden, anyone who saw her now could tell.

The blonde put a hand on the gardener's shoulder. "You don't have to lie about this. You obviously put in so much time making it look this amazing, so own up to it. It's beautiful."

And it really was. Vanessa wasn't the only flower, they were hundreds more, varying in size, color, petals, and everything else under the sun. Certain one had more than one bud. Some were even small trees, others appeared to be Venus flytraps. It was like witnessing the beauty of nature and someone with the patience to put up with the waiting and tireless effort.

Lila smiled sheepishly. "Okay, so it is mine. I am actually really good with plants like these babies. It's my magic touch." She looked so happy surrounded by them, and it made Chloe happy just looking at her.

"Oh really?" Abeille smirked. "Well what plant here do you think I would love the most?" It was probably a dumb question, but something inside Chloe dared her to say it anyway. To dive deeper into Lila's comfort, and fall with her into joyousness.

"That's easy," Lila began, her eyes never once looking around the area to consider a single producer, as if she automatically knew each and every one plus it's location in the 'room', "It has to be the red roses. They're the picture of wealth, which is something you are obsessed with. You also like how pretty they are, and their smell, since that's the perfume you have on during the fight. You most likely think that they're amazing because they are both tough little guys, and gentle, adorable things. Also, Rose Lavillant is someone you almost consider a friend, so that adds a couple of extra points to that category. Not that I've been stalking you, or that I know your identity or anything..." She slapped a dirt-ridden hand over her mouth, coughing a bit from accidentally swallowing some.

Oh.

My.

Stripes.

"You know my identity!?" Shrieked Abeille.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out my Instagram Gracedcheshirecatofgold. I have a Chloe x Lila drawing on there that's pretty cringe worthy, so go check it out! XD
> 
> https://www.instagram.com/p/BVxqoYjBFCd/
> 
> Okay, so I'm probably going to end up apologizing for this more than once, but I am super sorry because I know nothing about plants. My family does not have a green thumb. (Except my grandma for some strange reason.) I know next to nothing on gardening. I had a cabbage sprout once, but on the first day of it being at home, my bunny ate it. (We no longer have that bunny.) And, knock on wood, the only plant I have that's still alive is one I named Ivy that I got in third grade. It lives inside of a bottle. I give it water maybe one a year. Well, at least I THINK I still have that....
> 
> Also, what did you think? I hope you liked this chapter, because this is the one that I'm really proud of. ^.^


	5. Trust and Memories

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flashback that's MOSTLY true, with only one exception. Pollen gets jealous.

"You know my identity!?" Shrieked Abeille.

Lila flinched, trying to think up another lie or excuse. ANYTHING would have worked, so long as it could leave her tongue and be voiced aloud. There were no bad answers here so long as she answered.

"Hi Chloe..." She said, her voice cracking halfway through.

Okay, apparently she was wrong. Don't say something awkward, admit to it or have a voice crack. She stored this knowledge in her mind for future reference, then proceeded cringing and feel entirely embarrassed.

\----------------------------------

Abeille wanted to go die in a hole. Maybe eventually she would have told Lila after trusting her more. That would have come a lot later. And it would have been on her **own** terms. No one else could define when she was ready or not except herself.

She hadn't been ready.

After around ten minutes of pure silence, Lila was the first to attempt to break the tension that hung over them, too thick to possibly be cut with a knife. "Do you want to release your transformation? I mean, I already know you're identity... Plus, it's hot up here, the floor is an expensive wood floor that doesn't deal well with _sweat_."

Chloe giggled at Lila's poor attempt at a lie. It was just so painfully obvious that her words were slander in this case, seeing as the floor was a beautifully designed flower Mosaic TILE floor, and not wood.

Lila pouted as her cheeks were tainted with pink. It was obvious that she just wanted to see Chloe as her civillain self. The reason? Abeille had no idea.

Still, she quickly de-transformed and sat down on the 'expensive wood' floor next to her brunette friend with a smirk. "Is this better? At least now I'm not in danger of perspiring on your _wooden floors_ anymore," she teased as Lila glanced away with a hand supporting her face: two failed attempts at trying to disguise her growing blush.

"Shut up," was the fox's embarrassed reply, tossing Chloe into a seemingly endless fit of giggles.

\----------------------------------

Chloe had full trust in Lila now. They had sat and talked for hours. It got later and later, but that just started new waves of conversation. Chloe had probably learned near everything about Lila, and had figured out how differentiate between the truths and the lies her new friend told. (She supposed that what she and Lila were now, even if it felt more complicated.)

They were having so much fun that Chloe had forgotten the true reasonings behind coming here. She now had claims to back up the fact that Lila felt quite a bit better, which she took as victory enough. But had gotten trapped in Lila's spell, and  while Chloe could happily live with that, she had yet to ask why Volpina appeared. What caused a sweet girl like Lila to transform for the side of evil? Yes, she wasn't always honest, but she had her reasons. Chloe just hadn't learned of them yet.

Pollen fluttered around, loving the flowers but hating being ignored. (Chloe knew about that Kwami's jealousy from firsthand experience.) With a huff, the levitating yellow bee was the one to remind her Chosen why they came with a straightforward, "Why were you akumatized today?"

The brunette flinched and looked away, a sheepish gleam stuck in her emerald green eyes. "Talking about it would give me wrinkles."

A clear fib.

"Lila," the blonde chided, wanting her friend to be honest about what happened. Chloe wouldn't be quick to judge and point fingers. (Which made her think of court: Lila wouldn't survive there. _"Do you solemnly swear that you will tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?" They would ask. Lila would proceed to giggle and say, "No."_ The thought was enough for Chloe to let out a brief laugh, before becoming serious once more.)

Consumed in memory, Lila only nodded. "Okay. You want honesty? I'll give you honesty. It all started earlier today during school..."

\----------------------------------

The sun had blinded Lila the moment she walked through the hallway after her final class. She trudged her heavy orange bag behind her, hating the pressure. They had run out of lockers, so she was stuck carrying everything she needed at all times. It seemed like karma had plans for her after her first time being an akuma. No one wanted to be friends with the biggest liar at College Francoise Dupont, so not a soul helped.

Naturally it made her bump into someone. Keeping her head down low, she mumbled a quick apology and tried to get away.

The person she accidentally hit wasn't having it.

He growled, then grinned when he saw his target. "Why if it isn't the little liar, Lila. How is it, being 'real' fox superhero? Tell Renard Rouge I said hi," Adrien Agreste snickered.

\----------------------------------

"Wait wait wait. Hold up. There's no way that was Adrien." Said Chloe. "First off, the dork doesn't talk like that, he's too sweet. Second off, he wasn't even at school today because of a photoshoot his father scheduled. He texted me during it, so I would know."

Lila looked away, knowing she had been caught. "Okay. Fine. It was a from a different class than ours. Happy?"

Chloe nodded. "Wait. Why'd you try to badmouth Adrien? What did he even—"

Lila cleared her throat as loudly as possible to take Chloe's attention away from that. "Can I finish my story?" She paused for dramatic effect. "As I was saying..."

\----------------------------------

The guy (who wasn't actually Adrien) proceeded to say rude things to Lila, things that while she may have deserved, already knew by heart.

She kept her head held high just to make sure they wouldn't see her weak. She couldn't cry. She WOULDN'T cry.

Lila Rossi had this coming, and absolutely no one should have to feel sympathy for a girl like her. A girl who had to deal with the consequences of her own stupid actions.

"I bet your own parents wished their girl was interesting. Well, I mean, you are, but only as a liar. Other than that, you're nothing."

That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

She fled like a fox away before her tears had the chance to emerge. She didn't look back, nor did she bring her bag. She simply ran off.

Well, something else DID happen before she became Hawkmoth's minion. There was a small bit more, as embarrassing as it may be.

Truth be told, Lila didn't make it away in time. Then he said something ridiculously stupid: "You and Chloe Bourgeois are two plagues at our school I wish we could get rid of."

Fury and hurt were the only things racing through Lila's brain. She froze in her tracks, then swerved back towards him, spinning on her gorgeous boot-adorned heels. She walked until she was directly in front of his face, her words similar to spitting fire.

"YOU CAN CALL ME WHATEVER YOU WANT TO, BUT YOU LEAVE CHLOE OUT OF THIS. SHE HAS BECOME AN AMAZING PERSON WHO HAS CORRECTED HER WRONGS. THAT MEANS SHE ADMITTED TO THEM, FIXED THEM, AND MOVED ON, WHICH IS MORE THAN YOU HAVE EVER DONE. SO DON'T YOU **DARE** SAY THAT ABOUT HER EVER AGAIN."

Tears streamed down Lila's face as she screamed, her words startling the guy next to her.

She stormed off, spewing jumbled words on her way. She was blinded by fury, and didn't notice when a dark purple butterfly landed soundlessly in her fake fox miraculous necklace. A way for the universe to once again rub it in Lila's face that she was a fraud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Yes, other than "Adrien", Lila's story is true. Okay, MAYBE the unnamed guy HAD a name, but that was it. XD
> 
> Have a great Fourth of July!! ^.^
> 
> ~Gracedcheshirecatofgold


	6. Dummy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe is oblivious, SHIPS GALORE! And Chloe gets some competition.

To say Chloe was blushing at the end of the story was an understatement. The word didn't seem to describe just how she felt. Because it was so much worse. It felt like the color red had just exploded across her face, and it took so much effort to keep the truth concealed.

That was what this was all about, wasn't it? Truth.

Two wretched children trying to be better, and resurface truths they sought to bury. 

Except maybe they didn't want some things to be said. Maybe they were trying to be honest and going about it all wrong. They still hid their emotions at every little turn they encountered.

Still, Lila had gone out of her way to explain the situation, and admit all of the most embarrassing details. Sure, she put in a white lie or two, but her story was overall mostly correct. Anyone would be able to tell with ease. 

Emotions were still scary for Chloe, and they probably would be forever. Chloe Bourgeois was a superhero, yet a society-proclaimed "villain" was able to concer them.

Chloe Bourgeois hadn't felt this much shame in some time.

Why couldn't she just say the words her brain so badly wanted her to utter aloud?

She sighed, one that she presumed was internal. 

It doesn't matter what I think. Lila and I may be getting along now, but she still said she hated me. There's no way for me to change that. I'm terrible, after all. 'The evil daughter of the mayor of Paris', if you will.

Silence fell upon the two girls like a suffocating fog, with the blonde's head was lowered in defeat.

"I don't really hate you," a timid voice spoke up. "It's just that..."

For once Lila was at a loss for words. Her usually tough demeanor had dispersed, and in its wake stood the shy, insecure girl underneath. Chloe knew others didn't get to see this frequently, and that she had a special place in the fox's heart. 

But Lila wouldn't finish her sentence. If it was that she couldn't, or that she wouldn't, Chloe was clueless as Lila struggled. She threw a handful of mulch onto the rooftop they sat upon which seemed to calm her down significantly.

"I-I..." She stammered a beginning.

What, Lila, what? 

'I don't want to be near a vial creature like you?'

'I like Ladybug more than you? Neither of which are good in my eyes'

'I want you out of my garden?'

'I blame you for my akumatization?'

What is it woman!? What could you possibly say!?

"I l-like you, Chloe." Lila said quickly.

Oh.

OH.

Chloe smiled brightly. "I like you too, Lila. I, uh, want us to be friends. If that's okay with you, that is."

The fox deadpanned.

"I DON'T want that," she managed to admit before her voice clammed up.

This left Chloe in quite a bit of shock. Did Lila just ENJOY toying with people's thoughts? It was something confusing to no end.

Lila groaned in annoyance when she realized how Chloe saw the situation. Without thinking, she grabbed Chloe's face and pull her down into a quick kiss.

When it ended, Chloe's scapegoat for her obliviousness was Adrien. She had grown up with that clueless dork, and she now believed his blindness had rubbed off on her. (Which, in the end, wasn't the WORST thing...)

While the stunning green eyed girl may have been blushing furiously, she still found it in herself to act a little more like the normal Lila. While their foreheads touched, she whispered "You dummy."

\----------------------------------

It had been a day since then. Chloe and Lila had gone to school as usual, trying not to be overly-gushy and freak anyone they knew out. 

When the day ended, Chloe wasn't allowed to see the girl who had kissed her. Instead, her 'friend' Sophia, a loosely-used term, seeing as she was more of Chloe's teammate (unfortunately for the blonde), dragged her to join in a sleepover. It wasn't really fair, since technically it was held at the bee heroine's house. (Sophia Zalla lived in a room at the Bourgeois's hotel when her dorm burned down.)

Upon arrival, Chloe spotted Marinette and Alya, none of which batting an eye when three small kwamis popped up from hiding. It would have been strange at a different point in Time and had them being confused and shocked and dumbfounded, but nowadays it was old news. The three of them had now each other's superhero identities for some time now. (Yet not one of them knew who Chat Noir was under that mask.)

Sophia walked into her room last, short brown strands defying logic as they were frizzed up higher than the normal length of her hair. She shut the door behind her and smiled.

Kwamis floated close to their chosens in case of emergency, but far enough away that they could talk to one another in peace.

Chloe's eyes set on Trixx the fox, cautious of the orange fur ball who loved pulling practical jokes. She had something planned, didn't she...?

Alya and Marinette greeted everyone with cheery grins, Tikki attempting to do the same while munching on a chocolate chip cookie fresh from the Dupain-Cheng bakery.

With an exaggerated plop, Sophia sat down in her forest-green beanbag chair. "Is this everyone?"

She counted all living beings in the room, (Kwami and Paris superheroes alike) seeing only six, without including herself. Her heart sped up when she didn't see him.

"Fluff?! Fluff, where are you!?" She called out in panic.

She didn't calm down until she heard the ever-familiar voice. "Now I have to attach this and..." He mumbled half aloud from somewhere inside his latest metallic invention. He had tuned out the world on accident, and that included his very own Chosen.

Sophia let out a sigh of relief, removing the tin foil wrapping from a plate of bacon. There was the sound of sniffing, and Fluff emerged.

He was a small lion Kwami, who was almost always clutching some type of tool. (Today it was a wrench.) A hexagonal pattern laced the glass of the bright orange goggles he wore, more for show than actual use. Despite his mane having large streaks of oil, grease, and other gross engineer things Chloe couldn't name, Sofia still hugged him before handing him a strip of bacon.

Chloe shivered. Why must that duo so disgusting? They were just like agate gemstones: they were interesting with a lot going on, but you'd never be seen with it if you could help it.

Grabbing a bacon slice, Sophia dangled it in front of her face before remembering her question. "I saw you disappear yesterday, Chloe. Where'd you go?" Her voice played in and out of being serious or mischievous while attempting to suppress a grin.

The blonde knew immediately what incident was being referenced. A blush erupted across her face, and she tried in vain to conceal it.

It was indeed too late. Once Sophia noticed something like that, there was nothing you could possibly do except give up. Resistance was futile.

That was why Chloe was forced to explain the ENTIRE situation with Lila to everyone in the room: every superhero and their respected Kwami. After her conversation(s) with her crush the previous day, she didn't think it could get any more embarrassing.

She had been wrong.

No, this was definitely worse. Marinette and Tikki were madly giggling. Alya grumbled several curses in French to Trixx as she passed her Kwami twenty euros, while Pollen recounted details Chloe had (purposely) left out. Fluff looked at Chloe with pride, and Sophia whined about not joining in on Alya and Trixx's bet, and not being there.

"I'm really sorry I wasn't there to help you deal with Volpina," Sophia apologized, "I was having my own relationship issues..."

It was true that Sophia was also a superhero, Lionne Bronzer, and suffered major problems in the love department.

She had a crush on Australian Dingo, a supervillain and henchman to Hawkmoth. The dingo miraculous holder hated her hero self, but his alter ego, Oliver Avaiot, had a major crush on plain old Sophia. 

The two had gone on a date of sorts, and with the pure confusion radiating between them, none of the other Miraculous heroes felt the need to blame them. One nice day seemed surreal to the poor girl. Her remorse was genuine.

"It's fine. You had your own life to live and to not bother me," Chloe waved away her associate's worries, actually quite happy she got a single day before Sophia knew of her almost-a-relationship.

"So all of you have a date, huh?" Asked Trixx with a smirk, some practical joke already forming in her small mind.

Alya turned crimson. She and Nino liked one another, but that was about it. (As much as she would love to) Nino had never been with her on an official date. Sure, they'd chased after Ladybug together once or twice, and had exchanged a couple of quick kisses during that time, but they weren't an item yet. Maybe soon...

Her best friends teased her relentlessly for several minutes before turning their relationship villainy towards Marinette.

Her and Adrien were goals if she could ever speak to him. Because Marinette Dupain-Cheng didn't just like Adrien: she would fully admit to being in love. It was silly and childish, but everyone found it secretly adorable.

When Marinette dreamily sighed about Adrien, Tikki couldn't help but show the smile tugging on her lips. "It's so cute!"

Pollen gagged but was playfully pushed by Trixx, and the two continued to rough-house.

"You may have to be careful, Chloe. Lila had a crush on Marinette's man. Adrien may just steal your women right out from under you."

Alya was clearly joking. It wasn't even a question on that matter, yet it felt like so much more to the blonde.

Realization struck Chloe Bourgeois like a bullet. In the hole it left, an unexpected emotion crept in: jealousy.

She WOULD have to cautious around Adrien, wouldn't she? Because at the end of the day, Lila had liked Adrien first. And Chloe had no idea if she still did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this far! ^.^
> 
> I'm proud of how this chapter turned out. It didn't stray too far from the original idea. (Like most of the other chapters did, cough cough)
> 
> Fluff and Sophia are adorable, and you can't convince me otherwise. But sorry if you didn't like them!
> 
> Whatever time it is for you now, I hope it's great.
> 
> ~gracedcheshirecatofgold


	7. Trixx's Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chloe can't stop worrying until she realizes she has to take matters into her own hands.

The crisp air and the inky night had fallen over the streets of Paris hours ago, but as Chloe laid on her sleeping bag, no sleep had befallen upon her.

She was still surrounded by the slumber party girls from earlier. Not a thought of hers went towards any of them, however, as they were all directed to Lila Rossi.

Was she up at this hour?

Was Lila thinking of her dummy?

Or, was Lila still interested in Adrien, and thinking of him instead?

It was an idea Chloe didn't enjoy, because the blonde didn't like admitting she was fearful. Nothing scared the daughter of the mayor of Paris!

... Except, some things did.

Because at that moment, Chloe was terrified.

She didn't want to loose the person she had feelings for to someone else.

Yeah, Chloe always clung to Adrien herself, but she he was like her brother. When she thought of him, her heart didn't swell, her face didn't feel warm.

It wasn't like when she was with Lila.

Without the slightest hint of hesitation, Chloe bolted upright. She and Pollen could be out the doorway in a minute tops. A quick run through rooves of France, and she could be at her girlfriend's home in six minutes.

She was nearly outside when Chloe heard the unmistakable sound of Trixx's voice.

"You forgot one important thing, Bee."

Bourgeois froze in her tracks. She slowly spun on her heel, careful not to wake anyone else up. "And... And that might be...?"

"To ask her out officially, you idiot." Her words may have been a little harsh, but the fox kwami's eyes were playful and caring. It was a combination Chloe had never seen on Trixx before.

This was Trixx's plan all along.

Somehow, someway, this was what Trixx had wanted. To see Chloe and Lila become a reality.

Maybe the little fox was more of a helpless romantic than she had originally thought.

Chloe smiled.

"I will."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ^.^ Thank you for reading this far!
> 
> This was supposed to be the last chapter, but it seems we'll have one, maybe two more. Who knows at this point?
> 
> ~Gracedcheshirecatofgold


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